8/9/19--As of August 2019, 33 states and the District of Columbia have initiated policies allowing the use of cannabis or cannabinoids for the management of specific medical conditions. Yet, insufficient evidence exists for the use of medical cannabis for most conditions for which its use is advocated. Despite the lack of evidence, various US state governments have recommended cannabis for the management of more than 50 medical conditions. Read

11/30/18--Significant, sometimes adverse, drug effects can occur at relatively low THC doses in infrequent marijuana users, and accordingly this data should be considered with regard to regulation of retail marijuana products and education for individuals initiating marijuana use. Read

11/5/18--In the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, the adjusted prevalence of past 30-day cannabis use in pregnant women aged 18 to 44 years rose from 2.37% in 2002 to 3.85% in 2014. Another study found a relatively similar increase from 4.2% in 2009 to 7.1% in 2014. Corresponding rates of alcohol use and cigarette smoking during pregnancy have generally decreased. These reports encourage more detailed characterization of patterns of substance use during the course of pregnancy. Read

11/8/18--In this investigation comparing 33 individuals at clinical high risk of psychosis who were part of a double-blind randomized clinical trial and 19 healthy control individuals, a single oral dose of cannabidiol modulated activation in the striatum, medial temporal cortex, and midbrain. In each of these regions, the level of activation following administration of cannabidiol to patients at clinical high risk of psychosis was intermediate between the response in healthy control individuals who did not receive any drug and in patients at clinical high risk receiving placebo. Read

10/15/18--Combustible and electronic tobacco and marijuana use frequently occurred in popular hip-hop music videos from 2013 to 2017. The genre’s broad appeal, use of branded products by influential artists, and rise of electronic product and marijuana use may contribute to a growing public health concern of tobacco and marijuana use. Read

7/6/18--In this cross-sectional analysis, individuals who reported any level of opioid use were more likely than individuals who reported no opioid use to have physical and mental health conditions and co-occurring substance use. Involvement in the criminal justice system increased with intensity of opioid use, and any level of opioid use was significantly associated with involvement in the criminal justice system in the past year. Read

2/6/18--Estimated prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders among first-graders in 4 communities in the Rocky Mountain, Midwestern, Southeastern, and Pacific Southwestern regions of the United States ranged from 1.1% to 5.0% using a conservative approach. These findings may represent more accurate US prevalence estimates than previous studies but may not be generalizable to all communities. Read

2/6/18--Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a group of serious, chronic, systemic diseases that are caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and characterized by central nervous system damage and physical deficits that subsequently lead to a wide range of permanent and lifelong health consequences. A study featured in JAMA reports the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum estimates are 10 times higher than those previously reported. However, the authors caution that their findings may not be generalized to all US communities, but also suggested that their estimates are likely more accurate than previously reported estimates for the United States. Read

12/19/17--Four companies have received FDA warning letters for selling products online that agency officials said made unproven anticancer claims and contained a component of the marijuana plant. The products reportedly contained cannabidiol (CBD), which isn’t FDA approved for any indication. Read

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